Shoe.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

' H. FISCHER.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.- 4, 1903.

no MODEL.

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No.729,314. I. UN TED STATES Patented May Q6, 1905;.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN risonna'or-nilw YORK, N. Y.

SHOE.

SPECIFICATION for'r'ning part of Letters Patent No. 729,314, dated May 26, 1908. Application filedI'ebrnary 4, 1903-- Serial No- 141,797. (No model.)

To -ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN FISCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in NewYork, borough of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes,of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a practical and durable concealed or disguised elastic closure for a boot or shoe.

The invention relates more particularly to an elastic closure for a low-cut shoe, in which, owinglargely to the severe strains at the sides of the upper, it has been found impractical to employ the ordinary elastic goring at these points.

The invention consists in the combination, in a shoe, of a slitted *upper, an elastic lacing connecting the sides of said upper, an elastic webbing at .the interior of the shoe, and a movable tongue having free side portions extending between said webbing and. the upper.

The invention consists,.further, of certain other combinations of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved shoe. Fig.2 is a top view of a portion of the upper. Fig. 3 isa vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section-on line 4 4, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference .indicate corresponding parts. 7

Referring to the drawings, A'indicates the upper of the shoe, which is provided with the usual vertical slit a at its front portion for permitting the opening of the 'upper--suffi-. ciently for application of the shoe to-the foot. of the wearer. upper at each side of the slit are retained normally drawn together, so as to close the opening, by-means of an elastic lacing b or other suitable elastic medium. At the inside of the shoe is arranged opposite the slit a tongue c,of leather or other suitable material, which is attached at its lower portion 0 to the upper. At the inner side of the tongue is arranged a layer of elastic webbing d,which is attached at both sides, beyond the side edges of the tongue 0, to the portions a a of the upper. In the act of applying the shoethe elastic lacing and webbing yield sufti= 'ciently to permit the entrance of the foot. 'They then serve to close the upperand retain the shoe upon the foot of the wearer. The elastic Webbing and upper form togethera pocket'within which the tongue is retained. For retaining the tongue centrally in position it is connected by a vertical central line of stitches d with the webbing, which stitches while retaining the tongue do not in any manner interfere with the free and equal expansion and contraction of the webbing at either side of the same. The tongue being attached at its lower portion to the upper instead of being attached at one of its sides to the same maintains its central position and has no lateral movement in either direction whenlthe shoe is applied. It moves with the upper in outward direction, and its free side portions, located between the upper and webbing, prevent injurious abrasion of the latter against the upper and the eyelets of the same. It is obvious that in case a stifi leather is used for the tongue, so that the same does not wrinkle, it may be attached at one of its sides-to the upper, and the webbing in this case need not at that side'be attached to the upper at a point beyond the tongue, but may be attached at the same point. In order to provide means for conveniently pulling on and off the shoe, the'tongue is extended at its upper end beyond the webbing, as indicated in Fig. 4, so that the same may be grasped without grasping the webbing,which would result in a straining of the same. In order to prevent curling over of the upper edge of the webbing when applying the shoe to the foot, the line of stitches d is extended :entirely to the upper edge of the webbing, The two portions a a 'of the also as indicated in Fig. 4. For providing additional means of grasping the tongue,

which is especially desirable for heavy shoes,

a loop e,'6f'tape or other suitable material, is provided, which is secured "at its lower portion to the tongue and extendsat its-upper or loop portion behind the tongue above the webbing. readily inserted into this loop, and thereby thetongue pulled in outward direction, so as to open the slit a and permit the entrance of the foot into the shoe. The lower ends of this loop are preferably located one between The fingerof the wearer may be the webbing and tongue and the other at the inner side of the webbing, so that the latter end provides also an additional means for preventing curling of the upper edge of the webbing. The webbing, tongue, and loop are all preferably secured in position by the same vertical line of stitches d. To additionally secure the loop, a second central line of stitches d between the loop and webbing are preferably employed, and the loop is also cemented to the webbing. c indicates an ornamental bow of any suitable material in imitation of a bow of the lacing. This independent bow is stitched or otherwise secured to the lacing at the top of the upper, or'it may be stitched through the slit a to the tongue, so as to retain the same and the webbing when attached in raised position against the upper, this construction being preferable when a tongue of light and flexible leather is employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a shoe, the combination of a slitted upper, an elastic lacing connecting the sides of said upper, an elastic webbing at the interior of the shoe, and a movable tongue having free side portions extending between said webbing and the upper, substantially as set forth.

2. In a shoe, the combination of a slitted upper, an elastic lacing connecting the sides of said upper, an elastic webbing at the interior of the shoe, and a tongue movable with said webbing, and having free side portions extending between the same and the upper, substantially as set forth.

3. In a shoe, the combination of a slitted upper, an elastic lacing connecting the sides of said upper, an elastic webbing at the interior of the shoe, and a movable tongue connected with said webbing and having free side portions extending between the same and the upper, substantially as set forth.

4. In a shoe, the combination of a slitted upper, an elastic lacing connecting the sides of said upper, an elastic webbing at the interior of the shoe, a tongue between said web bing and the upper opposite said lacing, and extending upwardly beyond the webbing, and a loop attached to said tongue and extending upwardly behind the same, substantially as set forth.

5. In a low-cut shoe having an upper provided with a vertical slit at the front portion of the same, the combination of an elastic lacing connecting the sides of said upper across said slit, a tongue at the inside of said upper, and an ornamental bow located at the outside of the'upper and stitched through said slit to said tongue for retaining the latter in raised position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN FISCHER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER. 

